The present invention relates to methods and apparatus to remotely sense the temperature of a power semiconductor device and, in particular, of a power MOSFET device.
In order to prevent damage to power semiconductor devices, the maximum operating temperature of the devices should not be exceeded. It is accordingly important to monitor the temperature of power semiconductor devices so that they can be shut down or the current limited through them if the maximum operating temperature is reached in order to prevent damage to the devices. The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for remotely and indirectly determining the temperature of the power semiconductor device, in particular, a power MOSFET by sensing the ON drain-source resistance, i.e., RDSON and thus the voltage between drain and source of the power MOSFET device.